Los Angeles, March 28: “The Godfather” was named the best film of 1972 and its star Marlon Brando, the best actor at the 45th annual Academy Awards presentations here last night — but Brando refused his Oscar. Brando did not appear at the function but a buckskin clad American Indian woman Sacheen Little Feather, got on the stage and told the audience: “Marlon Brando very regretfully cannot accept this award because of the treatment of American Indians in this country to-day on the television, on reruns and recent happenings at Wounded Knee.” (American Indians had laid siege to Wounded Knee a tiny prairie township in South Dakota earlier this month). Brando has long been involved in the American Indian movement and once joined an illegal “fishin” by Indians in the Pacific north-west in defiance of a Federal ban. Little Feather’s speech was first met by “boos” but these were subsequently drowned out by loud cheers and applause from the celebrities gathered at the awards ceremony. By refusing the Oscar, Brando followed in the footsteps of George C. Scott, who last year declined the award for his title role in “Patton.” Liza Minnelli fulfilled a life-long dream of her late mother, Judy Garland, when she won the Oscar for best actress role in “Cabaret.” Eileen Heckart was voted best supporting actress for her role as the distraught and domineering mother in “Butterflies are free.” Diminutive song and dance man Joey Grey won his Oscar for the best supporting actor as the decadent master of ceremonies in pre-war Germany in “Cabaret.”
Published - March 29, 2023 12:15 am IST
